Understanding
by Fact Vs Fiction
Summary: Toph and Aang learn that understanding is a powerful tie.


"You are not connecting twinkle toes!" Toph yelled angrily. They had been bending all morning and she couldn't take it anymore. Aang was performing the required moves but he wasn't connecting. She could feel it.

"Well I can't!" Aang yelled back. He was exhausted. Toph was pushing and pushing all day and he just hadn't the energy anymore. "I've been bending all day in a discipline that is the opposite of my own natural one and you won't cut me a break. I'm tired Toph."

"No. You're weak." Said Toph forcefully in her blunt matter of fact tone. "Come and find me when you are finished moaning!." The blind 12 year old stomped off in the direction of camp.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

Toph was lying curled upon her side absently raising small circles in the rock with her middle finger. As much as she hated it she felt rotten. Her stomach was rolling on itself in what she recognised as the clenching fingers of guilt.

She should never have shouted at the Air bender, as that was exactly what he was. An air bender. It was stupid of her but she had forgotten. She disliked flying at the best of times. It was the opposite to what she knew. It was unstable and to her, unpredictable. It was only logical that Aang may feel the same way about the earth... and she wasn't being asked to bend air...

She sighed, her finger circling wider, creating yet more rings of raised earth. She almost missed it. The almost non-exisitent vibrations. She knew Aang had landed somewhere near her. Even as she lay still she marveled at his feather light footsteps. They both excited and frightened her. So easy to miss they could be a great asset yet still be very very dangerous to a girl like herself.

She felt the soft vibrations as her lay down beside her. At her back, she noted. She appreciated it. Aang had proven himself the most caring of her companions when it came to her disability. He never treated her any differently as far as the others knew but his small gestures alerted Toph to the fact that he had almost definitely had contact with another blind person before her. He lay at her back purposely. She couldn't see his face so he couldn't see hers.

"I'm sorry." He said gently. "About earlier... You were right. I should have tried harder." She could hear the remorse in his voice and it made her stomach ache.

She physically swallowed. Swallowing her pride.

"No." She said simply. "I'm sorry." Her well attuned ears heard his sharp intake of breath. She wasn't surprised, she wasn't exactly big on apologies...

" I was being unfair. I was forgetting your roots." She drew another circle as she spoke. "You can't connect. Can you twinkle toes? Not with earth and not with water either?."

"No." He almost whispered. "I can't." She could hear the sadness in his words. "You can't tell Katara." He pleaded. "Please."

"She hasn't noticed?."

"No. Shes only a newly qualified master..."

"I won't tell her twinkle toes. If you tell me why."

"I don't know."

"Come on Twinkles! You have to have some idea."

"I dunno Toph... I guess... It's like it's all power. I can bend the element but I can't connect with th spirit. I can feel it... It's just... Air is what I was raised on. It is a part of me. Its _my_ element. I guess it's difficult to explain..." He said helplessly.

"No. I get it. The Air monks are famed for their constant connection with the air. Its rare in the other elements but I can, because I can't see. I guess I wanted you to feel what I can feel. I forgot that you can, but in your own way..."

"Toph can I show you something?"

"Depends. I can't see. Remember."

"You don't need to see. Its better that you can't. Sit up?"

Toph pulled herself into a sitting position. "Now what?"

"Just listen." Said Aang happily.

Suddenly a breeze picked up. Gently caressing the earth bender's skin. Then she heard it. A gentle note of music on the breeze.Her sensitive ears twitched and sure enough the breeze created more notes, spinning a beautiful melody Toph was certain only she and Aang would be capable of hearing and she could feel it. Feel the spirit of the wind surrounding her, speaking to her. The melody was haunting and had an air of pain and hurt. Aang was telling her the story of the Air spirit's pain and it was taking the earth bender's breath away. She had never heard anything so amazing in her life.

The music of the breeze died down until just a natural breeze remained. Aang held his breath and looked at his friend with worry. Her eyes were closed and tears trailed down her cheeks. He opened his mouth to speak but never got the words out as the usually reserved girl threw herself into his arms.

"Thank you." She breathed. "Thank you so much."

Aang just hugged her. Smiling at her with understanding, even if Toph couldn't see it.

"I've never heard anything so... so beautiful and i've listened my entire life. You learned that at home?"

"It isn't something that's part of your training. I taught myself."

"You made me feel the spirit. That shouldn't be possible."

"I learned a long time ago that nothing is impossible. People just don't listen hard enough to truly feel."

"How did you know? That music would make me understand?"

"I did the same thing for a friend back home one hundred years ago. She felt it too."

"She was blind. Wasn't she?" Said Toph bluntly.

Realising that she had shocked Aang into silence she continued. " You know how to make me comfortable twinkle toes. You know not to step in my space and always make sure we're on equal footing as respect. That's practice not guess work."

"I found Momi when she was 4. I was 8. She was in an accident. An earth bender caused a rock-slide and she got caught in the rubble. Her parents died in the slide and she was blinded. Technically the monks shouldn't have taken her in. She was a girl. But I convinced them and she lived with us. She used to love the woosh of the air when we were bending. She wasn't a bender so she had it really hard and she was sad all the time until I taught myself to make the music from the air. I thought you might like it too..."

"Thanks twinkle toes. I think I get it now." The young benders sat in silence together for a very long time.

_-Understanding is a powerful tie.-_


End file.
